1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a network peripheral sharing system, and more specifically, to a network peripheral sharing system to enable the sharing of peripherals on a network.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Generally, only one peripheral is connected to one computer as in the case of one scanner being connected to one computer. If the user wants to use the scanner on another computer, he must physically move the scanner and reconnect with another computer. This cumbersome process is made even more difficult if a high-grade scanner is used which may weigh in excess of ten kilograms. Since only one computer can use the scanner at any one time, the added inconvenience will deter users from using the scanner.
It is therefore a primary objective of the present invention to provide a network peripheral sharing system to enable the sharing of peripherals on a network.
Briefly, in a preferred embodiment, the present invention provides a network peripheral sharing system comprising:
a computer network for transmitting information;
at least one client computer connected to the computer network for transmitting and receiving information, each client computer having a peripheral searching program executed in it for searching peripherals connected to the computer network; and
at least one server computer connected to the computer network for transmitting and receiving information, each server computer having at least one peripheral connected to it and one peripheral serving program executed in it for providing a status message of each connected peripheral to a client computer and for establishing a communication link between a client computer and one peripheral connected to the server computer;
wherein a user can send a search request to search an available peripheral connected to one server computer by using the peripheral searching program of a client computer, and the peripheral serving program of each server computer will transmit the status message of the connected peripheral to the client computer after receiving the search request, and the peripheral searching program of the client computer can establish a communication link between the client computer and the peripheral of the server computer through the peripheral serving program of the server computer.
It is an advantage of the present invention that users can conveniently use each peripheral without moving and reconnecting it every time thereby encouraging its use.
These and other objects and the advantages of the present invention will no doubt become obvious to those of ordinary skill in the art after having read the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment that is illustrated in the various figures and drawings.